Perhaps Jack Dorsey has adopted a new philosophy of cashing in on a platform rather than holding onto it, as evidenced by the sale of Twitter to Elon Musk. The sale sparked controversy among users and brands, with some expressing mistrust of Musk. Many users subsequently created backup accounts on other platforms like Mastodon and Discord and shared their links on Twitter.
Bluesky by Jack Dorsey, a decentralized alternative to Twitter, has recently become available on Android. However, currently, an invite code is required to access it. The Android launch of Bluesky follows the late February release of the service’s iOS app. However, joining the waitlist or receiving an invite code from a friend is currently necessary to access the service.
Following Musk’s acquisition of Twitter, rumors circulated that the free speech platform would undergo significant changes that could ultimately benefit Musk rather than users. True to form, Musk has already made sweeping changes, including a company-wide firing spree that saw many Twitter employees, including then-CEO Parag Agrawal, lose their jobs.
While it’s possible these former Twitter employees could return to their roles, it appears they won’t be doing so at Twitter. Instead, they may work on a similar project helmed by Twitter’s creator and co-founder, Jack Dorsey.
The new app BlueSky by Jack Dorsey includes many features that are comparable to those of Twitter, such as the ability to search for new users, follow others, and create posts with photos. However, the app is currently in beta and is limited to just 25,000 users. It does not yet include features such as Direct Messaging.
Interestingly, BlueSky was initially created as a backup alternative to Twitter back in 2019. However, in 2021, it broke away from Twitter to become a direct competitor, joining the ranks of Mastodon and other platforms vying for a share of Twitter’s user base.
Jay Graber, CEO of BlueSky, recently explained in a blog post that the app’s design is centered around allowing users to control how they consume and interact with social media. He noted that for developers, an open marketplace of algorithms will provide the freedom to experiment with and publish algorithms that anyone can use.
Graber emphasized the importance of moderation and user safety, stating that it was a top priority from the beginning. He explained that the app will use two different types of moderation: system-level moderation controlled by admins, and automated filtering to ensure the safety of end-users. He also revealed that users will have the option to subscribe to additional sets of moderation labels that can filter out more content or accounts, further increasing the safety and security of the platform.
